Senior right-hander Jacob Halford delivered an exceptional relief performance, and North Carolina A&T, a Greensboro, NC HBCU, secured a 4-3 victory over UNC Wilmington in a 16-inning Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) baseball contest at Brooks Field on Saturday.
The marathon win improved A&T to 8-16 overall and 4-1 in CAA play, keeping the Aggies tied for first place with Northeastern atop the conference standings. UNCW, despite an impressive relief effort from right-hander Trace Baker (5.1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 2 BB, 7 K), dropped to 13-14 overall and 1-4 in league action.
The teams entered the 16th inning tied 2-2. UNCW turned to right-hander Bromley Thornton (L, 0-1) to begin the frame. Freshman Tyler Smith ignited the Aggies’ dugout with a leadoff double, celebrating at second base.
Freshman JT Taylor followed with a bunt that UNCW first baseman Tanner Thach fielded, but his errant throw allowed Taylor to reach second and Smith to score, giving the Aggies a 3-2 lead. After senior AJ Jones drew a four-pitch walk, UNCW brought in right-hander Bryan Arendt, who is listed as a catcher on the roster.
Freshman Savoi Edwards then hit a shallow fly ball to center field that dropped in front of BJ Brown for a single, loading the bases. Senior Enrique Wood followed with an infield single up the middle that second baseman Dylan Schaefer fielded but had no play on, allowing Taylor to score and giving A&T an insurance run.
Closing Out the Win
A&T needed the cushion as Cole Nelson led off the home 16th with a solo home run off right-hander Darius Robinson (W, 2-0), cutting the Aggies’ lead to 4-3. After Mac Gillespie grounded out, an error at shortstop added drama to the final moments.
A&T intentionally walked Thach and replaced Robinson with freshman right-hander Braxton Davis (S, 1). Davis struck out Alec DeMartino for the second out, but a walk to pinch-hitter Kevin Novobilsky loaded the bases, putting the winning run at second. Davis, however, delivered a clutch changeup to strike out pinch-hitter Ryker Galaska looking, ending the game after five hours and nine minutes.
Halford’s Heroics
Halford was outstanding in relief, throwing six scoreless innings, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out four. His performance gave the Aggies a chance to win after entering the game in the ninth inning.
Smith, the reigning CAA Rookie of the Week, went 3-for-6 with the game-tying RBI that forced extra innings.
How It Happened
UNCW took a 1-0 lead in the second inning off junior right-hander Matt Murtagh. The teams traded zeros for the next several innings before A&T finally broke through in the ninth against left-hander Cyle Phelan.
Phelan walked freshman Bruce Wyche to open the frame, and Smith followed with an RBI double — his 16th of the season — to tie the game 1-1. Taylor’s sacrifice bunt moved the go-ahead run to third, but a strikeout and a groundout ended the threat, sending the game into the bottom of the ninth.
Late-Inning Drama
The Aggies nearly gave Halford the win in the 15th inning after a wild pitch allowed pinch runner Nigel Robinson to score, putting A&T ahead 2-1. However, UNCW answered in the home half with an RBI single from Kevin Jones to tie the game at 2-2 and extend the contest.
Baseball Series Milestone
The victory marked A&T’s first series win over UNCW since joining the CAA three seasons ago. North Carolina A&T is the only HBCU that plays baseball in the CAA. Hampton University, the other HBCU in the conference does not field a men’s baseball program.